Stereotypes

The American Philosophical Society contains thousands of pictures of Indigenous people from as early at the 1600’s. Established by Benjamin Franklin in 1743, this society has a premier collection of the first people of our land. One portion of this website is dedicated to the Native American Images Project. This includes various depictions of indigenous people and the stereotype in the time periods.  Within the gallery you can find depictions that “exaggerate” ideas about Native Americans.  Fascinating is that science was also used to stereotype the notion that the white man was a superior “race” by measuring, recording, and comparing actual features of Native Americans.

Facial goniometer
More disturbing is the thought that American eugenics movement abused evolutionary theory. Morphing the ideology, the argument backed by the American eugenics was minorities,including Native Americans had “inferior” genes, thus backing stereotypes with genetic basis. Further misusing evolutionary theory, they stated that reproduction of these minorities with inferior genes should be discouraged. According to the American Philosophical Society these ideas “caused significant damage before they were finally discredited.”
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Reference:

Native American Images Projects.  American Philosophical Society.  Retrieved 5 June 2017 from www.amphilsoc.org/exhibit/natamimges/stereotypes. 

Comments

  1. Gary HogateJune 14, 2017 at 5:48 PM

    I think that there are so many people who publish their ideologies based on "science" when in fact their information is lacking in true science or misleading in order to publish their idea. The study of evolution has many theories for which only a consensus agrees upon. It we track the evolution theory in modern times, there have been numerous newly discovered skeletal remains that throw into question the theory itself. Evolution Theory is constantly changing. I agree though that the desecration committed to prove a half BAKED THEORY is disturbing.

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